Joliet Remap Stirring Fears

2 Neighborhoods Fighting Plan

Residents of two neighborhoods on Joliet's west side sent a clear message Monday night on the redrawing of City Council district boundaries: Perception is more important than reality.

Even though the drive to preserve and improve the St. Patrick's and Cathedral areas will not end as a result of redistricting, residents of those areas contend that putting some of them in a new district will ruin neighborhood cohesion.

"This is about the perception of where you live," St. Patrick's resident Jerry Barrett told the City Council during a special meeting Monday to discuss the issue. "Regardless if nothing really changes, people operate on these perceptions."

Neighborhood residents at the meeting said they were concerned that the proposed new boundaries would dilute their influence with their council members and weaken their voting strength.

"We're happy with the representation we have. We're treated as one area under one district," said Mike Maloney, a St. Patrick's resident.

The City Council will meet June 28 for a final discussion on redistricting, and then likely vote to accept one of seven redistricting plans that have been put forward by city officials.

City officials said they want the process completed by July to allow the county clerk to make appropriate changes for the November elections.

Officials of the St. Patrick's Area Neighborhood Association do not like the prospect of having to work with another politician on pressing neighborhood issues-the biggest one being zoning, which has helped the area maintain its existing housing stock of single-family homes.

The two areas are now represented by three council members. Tony Uremovic's District 3 currently encompasses all of the St. Patrick's area and much of the Cathedral area; Walter Adamic's District 2 covers the northwest section of the Cathedral area; and Warren Dorris' District 5, which would likely pick up the transplanted residents from Cathedral and St. Patrick's, currently represents two blocks in the eastern portion of Cathedral area.

The Cathedral area, a neighborhood of stately century-old homes, runs from Plainfield Road to Jefferson Street, between Raynor Avenue and Center Street. The St. Patrick's area, which is larger and younger, is between Jefferson Street and Interstate Highway 80 from Raynor Avenue to Center Street.

City officials are redrawing City Council districts because a special census conducted earlier this year shows that Joliet's population has grown by about 6,000 residents to around 83,000, with most of that growth on the west side.

As the population continues to move west, council districts also will have to shift to maintain balanced districts.

Voters elect five council members from geographic districts. Three council members are elected on an at-large basis.

Under the new map, each of the districts will have slightly more than 16,000 residents.